RICHMOND, Va. (WJHL) — The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) reported 155 new COVID-19 cases in News Channel 11’s nine-county Southwest Virginia region Friday as the region’s COVID numbers remained at much higher rates than the state.

The area also reported seven new hospitalizations and four new deaths – two in Smyth County and one each in Russell and Wise counties.

The new hospitalizations included five in Smyth County and one each in Washington and Wise counties.

The increase brought the seven-day new case rate regionally to 295 per 100,000 population, a slight increase from Thursday’s 291. It put that rate back to more than double Virginia’s overall rate, which fell from 147 to 138 new weekly cases per 100,000.

The highest current seven-day case rates are in Scott (496) and Wise (399) counties. Tazewell has the lowest current rate of 197, which is still 43% higher than the overall state rate.

Population-adjusted death and hospitalization rates remained more than double the state rates as well.

The seven-day hospitalizations per 100,000 rate is 19.7 in Southwest Virginia, more than triple the state’s 5.9. The seven-day death rate of 7.6 per 100,000 is more than double the state rate of 3.2.

Since Sept. 1, the region’s hospitalization rate of 116.4 is 2.2 times higher than the state rate of 54.

The region’s 162 COVID deaths over that period represents 56 per 100,000 population, which is 2.7 times the state rate. The state’s total of 1,788 deaths represents 20.9 deaths per 100,000.

Statewide, VDH reported 680,688 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth on Oct. 22.

According to VDH, the total number of confirmed and probable cases is 914,755.

VDH reports there have been 11,500 confirmed coronavirus-related deaths across the state.

Below is a complete breakdown of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Southwest Virginia.

Note: VDH does not report whether cases are active or recovered. County and community case totals can include active, recovered, confirmed and probable cases.

Bristol, Va. – 2,247 cases / 161 hospitalizations / 47 deaths (5 new cases)
Buchanan County – 2,367 cases / 140 hospitalizations / 59 deaths (12 new cases)
Dickenson County – 1,606 cases / 55 hospitalizations / 26 deaths (9 new cases)
Lee County – 3,684 cases / 138 hospitalizations / 59 deaths (8 new cases)
Norton – 560 cases / 28 hospitalizations / 13 deaths (2 new cases)
Russell County – 3,722 cases / 154 hospitalizations / 59 deaths (22 new cases, 1 new death)
Scott County – 3,098 cases / 163 hospitalizations / 76 deaths (14 new cases)
Smyth County – 4,778 cases / 291 hospitalizations / 115 deaths (9 new cases, 5 new hospitalizations, 2 new deaths)
Tazewell County – 5,631 cases / 220 hospitalizations / 98 deaths (25 new cases)
Washington County, Va. – 7,489 cases / 578 hospitalizations / 143 deaths (33 new cases, 1 new hospitalization)
Wise County – 5,196 cases / 227 hospitalizations / 128 deaths (16 new cases, 1 new hospitalization, 1 new death)

For full coverage of the entire Commonwealth of Virginia, click HERE.